Wilma Rudolph: The Definition of a Growth Mindset

Let's talk about overcoming adversity. Forget the inspirational movie cliches. This is the real deal. Wilma Rudolph wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Nope. She was born 4-1/2 months premature, the twentieth of twenty-two kids. And if that wasn't enough, she contracted polio at four-years old, leaving her partially paralyzed and wearing a leg brace for eight (8) years, and suffering from many other physical setbacks. Doctors basically told her she'd never walk again.

Wilma wasn't having it. This wasn't the story she wrote for herself. After years of grueling physical therapy, defying doctor's orders, and with sheer willpower, she didn't just walk, she started running. Sure she lost a few races when she was getting started, but Wilma Rudolph was determined to learn, improve and grow.

Her plan worked. At 16 she represented the US in the olympics. By the time she was 20, she ran so fast she became the first American woman to win THREE gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics, earning her the title, "The fastest woman in the world". SHE later coached at DePauw University in my home state, and left a legacy of leadership in mentoring and coaching and civil rights.

Think about her story. Think about the momentum she gained from learning the power of personal development. From 'you'll never walk again' to 3X Olympic gold champion. That's not just a comeback story, that's a 'screw you' to the odds, a 'watch me' to the world. Wilma Rudolph's story isn't just inspiring, it's a freaking supernova of human potential. Now that's a story worth telling. And it's a story we can all learn from.

But I'm not here to get you inspired. The Mindset Mission is not interested in helping people feel good for a few minutes and leaving them to figure out their dreams. We're interested in studying people who become the person they desire through embracing challenges, persistence, effort, and learning from criticism. And it's people like Wilma Rudolph who epitomize a growth mindset that we find inspirational, but who also show us the roadmap for reaching our own goals?

This roadmap is laid out in Carol Dweck's 5 Beliefs of a Growth Mindset, all of which Wilma Rudolph embodied:

1. Embrace Challenges

2. Persist in the face of setbacks

3. See efffort as a path to mastery

4. Learn from Criticism

5. Find lessons and inspiration from the success of others

So what about you? Do you have a dream that has escaped you? A goal that seems unatainable? If so, and you really want to accomplish that goal, you can, with the right mindset! If you really want something you can do it, IF you are willing to follow the growth mindset roadmap. Learn it. Study it. Practice it.

After writing Becoming Your Greater Purpose, I added The 30-Day Mindset Challenge to give a practical, habit forming method of getting your head in the right place to build a growth mindset that can help you accomplish or become anything you desire.

And you may have had many setbacks, but you can't let those stop you. What do you want? Who do you want to become? What's your dream? It may be time for you to take off your "leg braces" that have been holding you back, and start the greuling process of building growth. #YouveGotThis

Got an inspiring story? Email it to jeffsmindsetmission@gmail.com